TxM Tribute: Blue Vines Junior High
by CatEarsHeadband7
Summary: A love story about Todd and Maurecia. Basically, Todd is entering middle school and realizes that he might have feelings for Maurecia.
1. First Day of Middle School

Todd woke up to his alarm clock screaming in his ear. He groaned and slapped the snooze bar, cranky and upset. He knew what day it was: Tuesday. But not just any old Tuesday; today was his first day of middle school. When he had graduated from Wayside, he was so happy to be free from that craziness. However, he now missed Wayside dearly. He missed talking to Myron and walking up thirty flights of stairs, and he even missed when Maurecia punched him in the arm. But Maurecia was going to a different middle school.

Suddenly, Todd's thoughts were interrupted by the annoying buzzing of his alarm clock again. "Gotta get up," he thought miserably. He got out of bed and went downstairs to fix himself a bowl of cereal.

The bus stopped at a giant light blue school surrounded by blue trees covered in blue vines. BLUE VINES JUNIOR HIGH, read the top of the building. Todd groaned deep in his throat. "What's wrong?" asked Mark, his friend from his neighborhood. Mark hadn't gone to Wayside, but was now going to Blue Vines Junior High. He had spiky brown hair and two big blue eyes framed by thick black glasses. The two boys stood up, stretched, and walked off the bus. "I hope there are some kids from Wayside here," he said. And indeed, he did recognize some kids he remembered from Wayside. Dana and Joy were off by a tree, gossiping about who-knows-what. Rondi, Stephen, Jenny, and Joe were playing cards by a water fountain. "Todd!" called a voice. "Todd, buddy!"

"Hey, Myron," said Todd without any expression. "Todd, did you see who's here?" Todd turned and glared at Myron. "What are you talking about?" he questioned angrily. "I don't want to play games!" Myron was taken by suprise. He looked slightly hurt. The orange haired 11-year-old immediately apologized. "I'm so sorry, Myron. I'm just grumpy," he said. "It's okay," Myron replied. Suddenly, the bell jangled. "Gotta run!"called Myron, dashing off towards the front door.

"Wait!" shouted Todd. "Who were you talking about?" But Myron was long gone. Todd trudged off to class, upset.

Todd set his books down on a random desk. He sat down and looked around the classroom. The teacher was nowhere in sight. He saw Dana, Mark, Stephen, and Myron. There were plenty of kids he didn't know. All the seats were taken except for the one to the right of him. Suddenly, a tall, slim, purple-haired figure walked into the room. Todd's jaw practically dropped to the floor. He was speechless. The girl saw Todd and screamed,

"TODD! OH MY GOSH, TODD! I MISSED YOU!" She frantically took the only empty seat next to him and set her pile of books down. "Maurecia, I..." Todd trailed off. "I know, Todd," Maurecia replied. "I switched schools over summer," She playfully punched him in the arm, grinning a wide grin.

Todd rubbed his arm and said nothing.

The bell rang and a red-faced, tall, balding man walked into the room. "Alright!" he shouted. "I'm Mr. Sanders, and I'll be your science teacher this year. I hope you all like who you're sitting with, because they'll be your elbow partners for the rest of this year!" At this, Maurecia shrieked with joy and delight. The teacher glared at her, then continued. "Please exchange phone numbers with your elbow partner," Maurecia scrawled down her number and gave it to Todd; he did the same. All the while the teacher was talking, Maurecia was holding on to Todd for dear life. What was strange was that Mr. Sanders didn't seem to notice at all. And the even stranger thing was that Todd different mind Maurecia giving him such a tight hug. In fact, he kind of liked it. Before he knew it, science was over and Todd was going to his next class, P.E. All his classes were with Maurecia (who, by the way, still wore the same things she wore at Wayside), even advisory. "What's up with me today? Do I like her?" Todd thought, confused by his own feelings. Back at Wayside, he never really liked her (in more than a friend way). But now, he wasn't too sure.


	2. PE Stuff

**TxM Tribute: Blue Vines Junior High Chapter 2**  
Todd's next class was P.E. As he walked into the smelly boy's locker room, Mark shouted, "We're not changing today! Not changing!" Todd breathed a sigh of relief at this, because he (in all honesty) was a tad shy about changing in front of other boys. Todd left his stuff on a bench in the locker room, since he didn't know what the code for his locker was.

All the students met in the gym. There were plenty of kids Todd didn't know there. The only people he knew were Mark, Maurecia, and Jenny. And himself. There was a mean-looking girl with long, straight, dyed green hair (with ocean blue at the tips) sitting next to him. She glanced at Todd, then smiled. Todd smiled back, suprised at her kindness, despite her mean appearance. The teacher, a slightly heavy-looking, blonde-haired, pretty woman, said, "Okay, class! I'm Mrs. Brittin, your P.E. teacher. Please allow me to explain the rules. Then we'll have free time." At this, many kids cheered, including Maurecia.

Explaining the rules didn't take long at all. Before Todd knew it, he was shooting hoops with Mark. "Alright, man, I'm exhausted," Mark exclaimed. "I'm going to take a break." Todd nodded and decided to go under the bleachers while waiting for his friend. (He wanted to escape from Maurecia.) So off he went!

There wasn't much under the bleachers. Just an old orange peel, a gum wrapper, and a dusty jump rope. Todd was allergic to dust and hated jump rope, anyways, so he stayed away from it. He walked around, bored out of his skull. He couldn't leave until Mark was energetic enough to shoot some more hoops, though. And knowing Mark, he took a looooooooong time recovering. And there was NO WAY he'd risk going back out. Not with Maurecia hanging out, like a lion waiting to pounce. Suddenly, Todd felt a sudden pain in his side.

"HIYA, TODD!" screamed Maurecia as she rammed into Todd's side. He gasped and nearly lost his balance. He turned towards her, ready to give her the boot, when he noticed the she was beginning to loose her balance. Todd instinctively caught her by the shoulders. Maurecia just stood there, a twinkle in her eye, for a second. Then she began to sort of tilt her head and lean in close. " _0h, gosh, no! Not my first kiss!_ " thought Todd. But he knew there was no way out of it so, he slowly began to do the same as her: close his eyes and lean in close. It all seemed to be going in slow motion. They were about to kiss, their faces only inches apart...

...when suddenly Mrs. Brittin walked over, hands on her hips, and said, "Alright, you two love-birds, that's enough! Get out here!" Both Todd and Maurecia were red-faced and embarrassed as they walked out, a huge smile on the teacher's face. Everyone had seemed to be in pause mode, just staring at the two red-faced children. Then, Jenny went, 'Oooooooh! Todd and Maurecia, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes..." The rest of the class joined in at this point. Even the teacher was singing and clapping along. The two of them were just so embarrassed!

"I almost kissed a girl today," thought Todd. " _Why am I so angry though? I used to think kisses were yucky and gross! But now, I'm disappointed to find out that I didn't kiss a girl, yet had the chance!?_ " Todd pondered over his thoughts while shooting some more hoops with Mark, who was asking him all sorts of questions. He even argued with himself.  
As Todd walked back into the locker room to get his binder and other things, with all the other boys, he found himself only having one thought: " _But do I like her_?"  
 **P.S. If this story keeps getting good reviews, I'll keep adding on more chapters. Peace! =3**


	3. Little Pink Furry Notebook

Todd's next class was art. He smiled, looking at his schedule. Todd loved art! Maurecia said, "Oh Todd! I love art! Don't you, Todd?" She gave him HUGE goo-goo eyes. "Ummm, yeah..." Todd trailed off. The duo, suprisingly actually walked to class together. Todd didn't mind, somehow. "Do I...like her...?" he questioned in his mind for the millionth time.

As soon as everyone in Art saw Todd and Maurecia walk in the door TOGETHER, they started gossiping. Somehow, rumor had traveled around that they had almost kissed in P.E. and that they were secretly dating. Of course, the first part of the rumor was true. However, most certainly not the second part. In Maurecia's dreams.

Todd plopped down in a random seat, sighing. "Stupid emotions. Stupid hormones," he thought to himself. He looked over at Maurecia, who was sitting next to him (duh!). He noticed she was writing in a fuzzy, pink notebook with her name in patterned bubble letter stickers on the front. "I wonder what she's writing in there..." he thought, waiting for the teacher to arrive and the bell to ring.

(Maurecia's Journal)

Dear Journal,

I am so happy! Today, I'm currently sitting next to Todd in Art, my very favorite class! I just love punching him all day! When the two of us grow up and are married, I want to have 3 kids, 2 girls and 1 boy! And we'll live in a big mansion, with a pool in the backyard, and a donut vending machine! And a skating rink! :) Oh, the bell has rang! Better stop writing!

-M

Todd straightened out his books and papers. The teacher was an old, yet kind man. He was African-American, and seemed to love teaching. Todd decided he rather liked him as a teacher. The teacher explained everything calmly and quickly, so the rest of the period was "free time". Todd pulled a book out of his binder, and read the rest of class away. The bell jangled after a short while.

As Todd left with Maurecia, he felt his heart race. The other kids were still gossiping when they thought Todd and Maurecia weren't looking. Todd shook his head, frustrated. The duo talked about their pets and love of painting while walking to Language Arts. They walked in to the tiny classroom together once more, both of them quite happy despite the gossipers. As they sat down together, Maurecia suddenly stood up. "I've gotta pee," she said. Todd nodded, then watched her leave.

Todd glanced at her journal, tempted.

He could almost hear a tiny voice coming from it. It was saying, "Read me, Todd. Read me."

He glanced around to make sure no one was looking, then snagged the book and flipped to the first page. The hand-writing was not as neat as it was now, so Todd assumed it was an older entry.

(Maurecia's Journal)

Dear Journal,

I have a crush on this guy named Todd. He's super cute! I want to hold his hand and kiss him all day long! And then, we'll ride a unicorn...

Todd froze in horror at reading this. He flipped on, skipping over a few pages. Each entry became more and more detailed. He turned to the last page, read it, and nearly screamed. He set the book down just in time to see Maurecia walk in. Whew! She hadn't caught him! She wrapped her arms around him, then punched him playfully. "Missed me, Todd?" she grinned. "Uhhhh..." replied the confused-by-his-own-feelings Todd. He wasn't quite sure what he'd just read, either. The bell rang, and Maurecia suddenly announced, "HEY, EVERYONE! I'VE GOT A NEW BOYFRIEND! AND HIS NAME IS TODD!" Todd blushed hard. So did Maurecia. Yet, she still grinned at him. "Gosh, what can I do now?" thought the blushing redhead.


	4. Todd's Dreams

"SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!" Todd yelled, red-faced. Maurecia grinned wider than ever. "Todd, let's calm down, Sweetie." Other kids laughed, tilting back their noses and pointing. The rest of the day passed by in a blur, the clock ticking annoyingly. Todd groaned and grunted the whole time, Maurecia still grinning that chersire cat grin.

"I'm home!" called out Todd as he kicked off his sneakers and dumped his backpack on the olive-colored sofa. Suddenly, he remembered that both his parents were at work. He sadly sighed, then went into the pantry and dug out some mini chocolate doughnuts. He brang the pack of them upstairs, where his AddictiveGamingStuff console was. He played video games on it to pass the time, then made himself a microwaveable meal for dinner. His mother came home just as he went to bed.

"Goodnight, Sweetie Pie," Todd's mother cooed. "I love you," The orange-haired beauty left the tiny bedroom. Todd cuddled with his giant stuffed gorilla. "Maurecia..." he murmured. "Wait! What am I thinking?" he called out, sitting up in his bed. "Everything alright, Todd-Baby?" his sweet mother called, poking her head in. "Yep, I'm fine. Goodnight," he replied, laying back down on the blue, space-rocket themed covers. His mother blew a kiss to him, then turned the hall light off. Todd then absentmindedly cuddled with his gorilla toy, and drifted off into a light sleep.

(Todd's Dreams)

"Thanks for inviting me over, Maurecia," Todd blushed, lying on the purple queen-sized bed, his dirt-covered sneakers on the floor. "You're welcome, Todd," grinned Maurecia, blushing slightly.

Suddenly, she leapt on the orange-headed boy, pulling her arms around him. She tilted her head and began kissing Todd, who kissed back. They were laying side-by-side on the bed romantically. It began as a simple, closed-mouthed kiss, but quickly blossomed into a make-out session. Maurecia, who was the one who first made a move in this make-out session, opened her mouth slightly, then licked Todd's closed lips. Immediately, he opened his own lips, and she swiped her tounge in and out of Todd's mouth. Soon, both of their tounges were touching, and the kiss was in full out make-out mode. Todd wrapped his arms around Maurecia's waist, and Maurecia's were around his broad shoulders. Then her hands made their way to his orange hair, tangling her fingers in it. This continued on for a little while longer, their hands changing positions occasionally, when...

"Oh, gosh! That was.." first yelled, then whispered Todd (so he wouldn't wake up his parents), who was wet from sweating (at least he hoped). Todd sat up once more, flustered, his face as red as a fire-engine. The nighttime breeze cooled him down, and before Todd knew it, he was fast asleep.

(Todd's Dreams)

"I do!" said the beautiful, purple-haired Maurecia, blushing hard. "And do you, Todd, take Maurecia to be your lawfully wedded wife?" asked the chubby, short priest (who had thinning blackish grayish hair). "I do!" yelled Todd, excited. And before the priest could say that Todd could now kiss the bride, he already did, making out with her.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Todd screamed, now fully awake again. Todd's mother and father rushed in to check on him. "I'm fine, I just had a bad dream, now go away!" said Todd, still slightly flustered.

"Don't give us attitude, Son," said Todd's also red-haired father calmly. "Okay, Dad," Todd agreed lovingly. His kind parents left the room, closing the door behind them. Todd couldn't go back to sleep this time. He tossed and turned on his old, rock-hard mattress, exhausted. He tried counting sheep, but that would never work for poor Todd. He thought about Maurecia, his heart racing faster than a cheetah who'd just had coffee and 7,500 cupcakes. "Just go to sleep..." he murmured to himself, angered. He decided to take a late-night walk. He wasn't allowed to, but he could already hear his snoring parents, who were both very heavy sleepers. He walked out the front door, still fully awake. He trudged off to his blue mailbox and peeked inside. There was... a letter!

It was heart-shaped, and decorated beautifully and delicately. Todd noticed two things about it: 1. It had no stamp, so it must have been hand-delivered, and 2. It had Todd's name on it, written in fancy cursive letters. It said:

Dearest Todd,

I love you. You're an amazing boyfriend!

Hearts,

M

That was the last thing Todd remembered before he passed out on the cold, hard pavement.

Todd woke up, his parents in his face. "Are you okay? You were blacked out by the mailbox, but your mother saw you from our bedroom window," said his concerned dad. "I just went out for a walk because I couldn't sleep, and I guess I, um, fell asleep," lied Todd. "Okay, well, I'm glad I found you, Sugar. Get some sleep," his mother said, a puzzled, yet caring look on her face. "And no more late night walks!" Todd nodded and lied down as soon as his parents left. "I guess only Dad was the one snoring, then," murmured the sleepy boy as he drifted off to sleep, this time for good.

The alarm clock buzzed and buzzed and buzzed until Todd turned it off and got up. He went to the small kitchen. "Hey, I'm making pancakes if you want some," said Todd's father. "No thanks, I'll have cereal," said grumpy Todd. "Oh, Todd, by the way, is there something you want to tell me?" asked the father, an emotionless expression on his face. "Oh no, did Dad find that test from third grade?" thought worried Todd.

"Um, no?" lied Todd. "You have a girlfriend! How amazing!" yelled Todd's energetic mother as she walked into the room, smiling very wide. Todd's dad was smiling just as wide. "And what a sweet girl she sounds like! She called me late last night," continued his mom. "Why did I give her my home phone number in kindergarten? How stupid was I?" thought poor mortified Todd.


	5. The Other Side of Maurecia

**Note: Thank you all for all your support! A big shoutout to Jacksonangelo105, you've been especially supportive, with your reviews and all. Thanks so much! You guys are all amazing! And now, I present to you, the fifth chapter of TxM Tribute: Blue Vines Junior High! Enjoy!**

Todd had eventually (somehow) gotten over the fact that Maurecia was pretty much a stalker who his parents thought was an angel. Obviously, his parents thought of her totally differently then him. Todd continued on with his morning routine like normal. He ate cereal, got dressed, brushed his teeth, etc.

At school, Todd chatted with Myron and the sweet green-haired girl until the bell rang. He didn't see Mark, so he assumed that he'd "gotten sick". "Wow, second day and he's already faking sick. Classic Mark," he murmured to himself under his breath. When he stopped at his locker, he put his backpack and sack lunch in it.

Todd casually strolled to class, trying not to think of _you-know-who_. He walked into class and set down his books, binder, and other things next to the forever-grinning Maurecia. "Hiya, Todd!" she greeted as she punched him in his right arm. Of course, Todd rubbed his arm and the teacher didn't even notice. "Todd! Todd! Todd! Todd! Todd!" called the annoying purple-haired girl, poking his arm repeatedly. "What, Maurecia?!" replied the upset Todd. Maurecia then set down a teddy bear, a box of chocolates, and a homemade card on his desk. She then slid a sash over his shoulders which read, "WORLD'S BEST BOYFRIEND". As she did this, she said, "Oh, Todd-Sweetie, you're an AMAZING boyfriend!"

All the class simply stared at him as the bell rang. Mr. Sanders then walked over to his desk, picked up the teddy bear and held it up high, and said, "Could you please explain this? Last time I checked, it wasn't Valentine's Day!" Many kids laughed or giggled. Todd timidly tried to explain to the teacher how the gifts had ended up on his desk. "Uhhh, you see, Mr. Sanders, Maurecia just happened to, uhhh..." Todd trailed off.

The teacher stared at him for an uncomfortable amount of time, a few giggles breaking the silence. Some of them were coming from Maurecia, who had an I-know-I'm-driving-you-nuts-and-it's-fun grin plastered on her face. The balding man then spoke up, "Ohh, I see, your little _girly friend_ brought you these. How cute!" He set down the fuzzy, brown teddy bear and picked up the sash, examining it. He then showed it to the class, and laughter could be heard throughout the room.

"Unfortunately, I don't tolerate distractions in my classroom. Either put them in your locker or throw them out!" yelled the teacher, setting down the delicate sash. Todd, not wanting to hurt Maurecia's feelings, raced out of the room with the gifts, redder than a tomato. He stuffed the gifts and sash in his nearby locker. He then slammed the locker door shut and turned the locker number dial twice. He then took a moment to assess himself and what to do. "Okay, maybe if I just i-ignore her," he thought aloud. The redhead decided to go along with that plan and headed back into the classroom.

The rest of the day for Todd was full of kids teasing him about his "girlfriend". He completely ignored them, and yet, they still kept teasing him and shouting at him. Todd felt distraught but tried not to show it. He didn't want to come off as babyish.

At one point, Todd was nervously changing in the locker room when kids started harrassing him. He had just pulled off his blue t-shirt (and was still in his white long-sleeve undershirt) when a blonde, blue-eyed boy grabbed Todd's t-shirt and began throwing it about the room, other boys catching it and throwing it along to another. He'd tried desperately to get it back from them, however his attempts failed miserably. Just then, the blonde-haired ringleader shrieked and pulled off Todd's white undershirt, leaving poor Todd topless. Another boy proceeded to give Todd a "fireball wedgie" while shrieking, "GIRLFRIEND, HUH?! HUH, WIMP?!" Todd then cried out in terror and shock, just in time for Mark to walk in late. Mark saw what was happening and howled like a wolf, tackling the two bullies. "STAY AWAY FROM HIM, JERKS!" shouted the defiant Mark. He picked Todd up and helped dust him off.

"You okay, Man? That must've hurt!" Mark said in a calm, yet exhausted tone. Todd simply just nodded, glad to have escaped with his life. Todd then continued on with his day as normal, trying to ignore the bullying and the burning sensation of the "fireball wedgie".

It was eventually the end of the day, and Todd was gathering his things at his locker. A few other kids were doing the same or heading off to a club, but other than that, no one else was in the halls. Just then, the blonde-haired bully strutted into the hall with his jerky friends, walking like models. As soon as they saw Todd, they stopped and began whispering to each other. Todd just scratched his head and continued on, trembling slightly. Suddenly, without any warning, all four bullies began hurling insults at frightened Todd. They had pounced on him and removed his two shirts, ripping and throwing them about. The hurtful insults consisted of "MAMA'S BOY!" and "LOVER BOY!" They howled at him and began harassing him violently. He was punched and given so many different types of wedgies that Todd could've filled an entire page of binder paper with the names of them (front and back). He cried out in terror and pain, tears running down his pale face.

Just when all hope was lost for poor, defenseless Todd, someone came in. Someone who the pack of bullies were secretly _terrified_ of. Those bullies would never admit it, but they'd all wet their pants if she ever confronted them. And they did indeed wet themselves when she came along. "STEP AWAY FROM HIM. I AM GOING TO GET YOU ALL SUSPENDED FOR LIFE IF YOU DON'T," she demanded. The dripping wet bullies scampered off, quivering from their coldness and fear. Maurecia then ran over to black-eyed Todd, a very concerned look on her face. "C'mon, let's get you to the nurse," she calmly murmured. And with that, she kissed him right on his lips. He didn't even try to pull back, he just kissed back.


	6. Confessions in a Closet

**Hey, everyone! Thanks for sticking with me for so long; I haven't updated in a while. My bad! Anyways, thanks for all the love and support. Now, onto the next chapter!**

" _You need to get to sleep. Calm down, Todd._ " It was 2:03 AM and Todd still hadn't gone to sleep. He was much too excited to do that. He simply couldn't stop thinking about the sensation of Maurecia's lips pressed oh-so gently against his. Her touch was so light and gentle, and yet, so fiercely passionate. Todd curled up in a fetal position and tried counting sheep. However, it was no use. He ended up falling asleep almost exactly an hour later, when he'd finally calmed down.

Todd's eyes peeled open as he awoke to an all-too-familiar sound. His alarm clock. He turned it off with a loud sigh, not wanting to get up out of bed. However, the memories of the day before came flooding back into his mind as soon as he sat up in bed. "Maurecia... kiss... cereal... mmm..." he murmured. The redhead decided to go to the kitchen and fix himself a bowl of cereal.

"Yo, Todd. Wazzup?" Mark asked when Todd got to the bus stop. Todd just simply mumbled something in response, thoughts about Maurecia flooding his mind. Mark shook his head at this. "Classic Todd..."

Soon, the bus turned up. Mark and Todd got on, however didn't speak the entire ride to school. Mark simply just listened to music through his headphones while Todd dreamed about his beautiful Maurecia.

As soon as Todd made his way into first period, he felt tingly, his head in the clouds. He sat down at his desk when-

"HIYA, TODDDDDDDDD!" Maurecia skated in, holding an envelope of some sort. She placed it on Todd's desk, giggled, then sat down next to him. Todd's heart was racing. He was confused. " _Is it another love letter? An invitation of some type?_ " He peeled the butterfly sticker that was holding the hot pink envelope closed off and placed it on his desk. Fingers trembling, he took out a colorfully decorated piece of paper from the envelope. It read:

" _WHAT: Start-of-School-Kickoff Party!_

 _WHEN: Thursday, Starting 5:00._

 _WHY: For fun!_

 _WHO: A bunch of former Wayside kids._

 _WHERE: Maurecia's house. You guys know where._

 _You don't need to bring anything, just_ _yourselves. Snacks and punch will be provided._

 _-M_ "

Todd was hesitant in choosing whether to go or not. He was trying to decide when Maurecia herself interrupted his train of thought. "So? You going?" she flirtatiously asked, a slight pout in her tone. Todd, lost in his thoughts, stuttered, "Ummm, I... errr... I...Yeah. I'll go." At this, the girl squealed in delight and punched Todd in the arm. Todd's mind was racing. " _What will I say to Mom and Dad? Should I just tell them the truth? Nah, I'll tell them that I'm going to be studying at Mark's_." The late bell then rang, and the teacher walked in. Todd glanced at the clock and sighed. " _Can't wait for tonight..._ "

Class dragged on for what seemed like years. Todd was in his own little world the entire day, fantasizing about what could happen later on. " _Mmmm... Maurecia..."_ Todd thought.

"Todd! Answer the question!" Todd's gaze quickly shifted back into reality. "Huh? Oh, uh, I-I'm sorry, Mr. Sanders. Could you please repeat the question?" The defiant older man stared him down like a hawk until the silence was unbearably awkward. Todd, flustered, blurted out "Uh, 27?" The rest of the class then burst out laughing, all except for Maurecia. She simply comforted Todd as he put his head on his desk in shame.

" _Sixth period, almost party time_ ," _Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock. BBRRRING!_ Todd leapt out of his seat, excited. "Todd, you know the rules perfectly well. The bell does not dismiss you; I do," the young, petite teacher calmly said. "And I will dismiss you when you're all seated." Todd slowly sat back down, slightly mortified. The woman glanced around the room, then smiled slightly and nodded. "You all may leave. Have a great day!" Todd raced out of the room and to his locker. He entered the code, opened the door, and grabbed all of his things in a mad dash. He raced to where the buses were, heart racing fast.

Todd had walked up to the old, creaky steps of his familiar house when his mother opened the door, smiling wide. "Hi, Sweetheart. How was school?" Todd suspiciously eyed her, then hesitantly said, "Gooooood?" His whitty mother simply laughed. "Oh, Todd-Sweetie. I just got a call from that sweet little Maurecia girl. You can go to the party if you like, just be sure to get your homework done first." she chuckled. Todd stared, his mouth gaping open. "Kaaaayyyy?" he managed to say.

His heart was pounding like mad. "Am I too formally dressed? How formal is this party?" he wondered aloud. As he walked up the freshly painted steps, a familiar face opened the door, a slight smile on her face. Todd's eyes practically bugged out of his head.

There, standing right in front of him, was hands-down the most beautiful he'd ever seen Maurecia. Her hair was down for once, and it was in beautiful, soft beach waves all the way past her shoulders. Behind her right ear was a real red rose with its thorns cut off. She was wearing a gorgeous light blue dress that cut off just above her knees, however it was layered so that it was slightly longer in the back. While it did expose her collarbones, nothing below that was shown. The dress was very flowy and tightened at the waist without the help of a ribbon. The texture of the dress was very lacy and delicate at the top, however the skirt of the sleeveless dress was smooth and unpleated. In the back was a cute little keyhole that looked right at home amongst the lacy fabric. Accompanying the lovely, flattering garment was a pair of simple, slightly-heeled white strappy sandals. All in all, Maurecia looked _AMAZING_.

Her face had a slight reddish tint, so at first he thought she was wearing makeup. However, as he got closer, he realized that she was just blushing slightly. Maurecia smiled a bit wider as Todd came closer. "Hiya, Todd," she smirked flirtatiously. Todd smiled back at her. "Hey, thanks for inviting me. I-It means a lot," Todd nervously stuttered, trying to play it cool. Maurecia grabbed his hand and led him inside to show him around, but not before punching him lightly in the arm.

Todd himself was wearing a baby blue short-sleeve button up, along with a black bow tie and black formal shorts that showed no more than his knees. As for footwear, he was just wearing his plain black dress shoes and no-show socks.

As Maurecia let go of his hand, Todd glanced around at the home. It was a very elegant house, with everything freshly painted and in-order. He realized that, despite the fact that he'd been living in the same neighborhood as Maurecia for nearly all his life, he hadn't actually ever been inside her lovely house before. Maurecia blushed. "Sooo, Todd..." Todd shifted his gaze towards Maurecia. "Um, so who else is here?" Todd nervously stuttered. Maurecia giggled and grabbed Todd's hand abruptly once more and Todd ran into the living room, where a rather large group of Wayside kids were.

Todd looked over the group of kids and smiled slightly to himself. Myron, Jenny, Joy, Rondi, Allison, and Sharie (who was asleep on the couch) were all there. "Todd, hey! Good to see you here, Buddy!" smiled Myron. All the rest greeted Todd, laughing and beaming. Todd noticed one thing, however. Everyone else was dressed extremely causally. Myron was wearing a plain gray t-shirt along with red basketball shorts. Jenny was wearing a denim skirt that cut off just above her knees and a white tank top. (And so on). Allison, who was lying down on the carpet, sat up and yawned. "So, are we going to get this party started or what?"

"Okay, guys. I know a game we can play," Rondi grinned. Todd wrinkled his eyebrows in curiosity. "Okay, everybody write your name down on a slip of paper and fold it in half," Rondi spoke, gesturing. "Then put the slips in this hat." Rondi was wearing baseball cap, but she had taken it off. Todd glanced at Maurecia. She had a tiny smirk on her face. After everyone had done as Rondi had said, she offered the hat to Maurecia. "Hostess first. Anywho, close your eyes and pick a random name." Maurecia closed her eyes tight and and stuck her hand into the baseball cap. Rondi put one of her hands over Maurecia's eyes. The purple-haired girl giggled, then began shuffling her fingers around. She grabbed a slip of paper and Rondi removed her hand, grinning ear-to-ear. Maurecia took out the tiny piece of paper and unfolded it. She looked over it, then squealed in delight. "TODD! TODD, I GOT YOU!" the girl shrieked. Rondi smiled even wider. "Okay, well, the closet is Heaven. If you guys haven't guessed already, we're playing Seven Minutes in Heaven!" At this, everyone but Todd shrieked.

After much explaining, Rondi finally shoved Todd and Maurecia in the closet together. Todd looked at Maurecia. "Soooo..." Maurecia smiled slightly. "Party's going great, huh?" Todd nodded. "Yeah. This game is kinda awkward, though." Maurecia shrugged, then looked directly into Todd's eyes. "I know a way to make it not awkward..." She then put her hands on his shoulders and closed her eyes, leaning in close. Their lips met softly, and they stayed like that for a hot second. Maurecia then put her hands back down on the floor and opened her eyes. "Y'know, Todd, I've always liked you. In more than a friend way. And, at Wayside, I... I guess I showed that a bit too much. But now, I guess things are different. We've both matured, at least a bit." Todd's eyes met her gaze. "Maurecia, I... I've honestly always felt a bit weird about you. Not in a bad way, but, like, in an I-don't-know-if-I-like-you kind of way. And lately, I've been thinking more and more about how you make me feel. And... well... maybe..." he trailed off, then spoke again. "When you saved me from those bullies... when you kissed me without any hesitation... I don't know, I guess that kind of helped me realize. I don't want to leave our feeling just here. I think we're ready for the next step." Maurecia, wide-eyed and gaping, nodded in total agreement. "Todd, are you asking me..."

The door suddenly bust open. "TIME'S UP, GUYS! DID YOU MAKE OUT YET?" Rondi yelled. Maurecia, shocked and upset, stared blankly ahead at Rondi. " _Nooo..._ _Everything was all coming together..._ " Todd, gaping, stared at Rondi, hoping that this was all just a nightmare in the middle of an amazing dream...


	7. Karaoke and Boys

Todd gritted his teeth. It was really the only thing he felt like doing. " _Rondi..._ " Todd angrily thought. " _She ruined this... Why?! Ugh, it was all so_ perfect _!_ "

Rondi laughed uncomfortably. "Now, Todd. It's just a silly game. Don't get so worked up, heh heh..." With that, she turned around and left the two middle schoolers sitting in the closet. "Alright, why don't we just dance for a bit?" Rondi asked, trying to avoid the awkwardness.

Todd got to his feet, avoiding eye contact with Maurecia. He didn't dare look her direction. He just wanted to forget everything, to dance his troubles away. "Yeah, that's a good idea. We need some music!" he shakily spoke. At this, Myron's eyes lit up. "Hey! Doesn't Maurecia have a karaoke machine somewhere?" Jenny's face then lit up, too. "Oh, yeah! Wait up! I think I know where she keeps it!" With that, Jenny barreled up the stairs, ponytail and all.

Maurecia, slightly teary-eyed (yet still fuming deep down), slowly arose. She wiped her left eye with the corner of her hand and tried to play it off like everything was cool. No one really seemed to notice how upset she was, not even Todd. She walked out of the musty closet and sat in the loveseat across from the couch, crossing her legs. Allison came and sat by her feet, sipping from a nearly-empty soda can.

Not more than five minutes later, Jenny came bounding down the stairs again. "I FOUND ITTTT!" she shrieked. Myron jumped and clapped his hands together. "Aw, sweet! I'll go first! Let me, let me! PLEEEEEEAAAAAASE?!" At this, Jenny laughed and plugged in the tiny machine. "Sure, go right ahead."

* * *

All Maurecia could do was sit and cry. She refused to stop. She needed to get all the emotion out. Really, Todd? Really?! He tried to pretend that tender moment in the closet hadn't happened! How could he? "Why are boys so confusing?!" she sobbed aloud.

No one had seemed to notice that she was taking an usually long "bathroom break". The guests were all too busy laughing and chattering and singing. Maurecia preferred it that way, though. After all, what would someone say if they caught her-

"Maurecia? Maurecia, are you in there?" a familiar voice asked. Allison gently knocked on the white wooden door. Maurecia lifted her weary head from her lap, facing the bathroom door. She answered in the peppiest, most cheerful tone she could manage. "Yup! Just... err... powdering my nose. Be out in a sec!" Allison breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, phew! I could've sworn I heard you crying or something." Maurecia's eyes bugged out of her head. Had Allison been listening to her through the bathroom door? And if so, for how long? She shook the thought from her head and stood up from the closed toilet.

As she heard Allison's footsteps lead back to the noisy living room, Maurecia stared at the person in the mirror. That person looked nothing like the Maurecia she knew, or perhaps anyone knew, for that matter. She splashed cool water on her face and gave herself a pep-talk in between gurgles and sploshes. "He's just a stupid boy. That's all he is. Don't let him take over your world, Maurecia." She dried her face, put on her prettiest smile, and opened the bathroom door. She rushed out and sat back on the loveseat, wondering to herself what song she should sing for karaoke.

* * *

Myron wiped some beads of sweat from his forehead and offered Maurecia the microphone. "Here. I think 14 songs is just about my limit," he panted, practically falling onto the carpet. Maurecia smiled and took the mic, almost actually gleeful. "Thank you, Myron." She entered the name of the song in and waited.

" _Boys_

 _My mother told me to stay footloose and fancy free,_

 _that my emotions aren't toys._

 _Boys_

 _Ooh, he turned my world inside out_

 _He wasted my time, without a doubt_

 _Boys_

 _Oh, boys..._

 _I should've listened to Mama_

 _I was ignorant, got involved in stupid drama_

 _Now I've gotta regain control_

 _my heart, my soul_

 _Gotta be me,_

 _gotta be free._

 _Forget him._

 _Forget boys._

 _Boys_

 _Don't they shake your core,_

 _make you want more?_

 _Boys_

 _Buy you pretty things,_

 _expensive rings?_

 _Boys_

 _Lie and lead you on,_

 _leave you broken and conned?_

 _Boys,_

 _Oh, boys..._

 _I should've listened to Mama_

 _I was ignorant, got involved in stupid drama_

 _Now I've gotta regain control_

 _my heart, my soul_

 _Gotta be me,_

 _gotta be free._

 _Forget him._

 _Forget boys._

 _Boys_

 _He twisted and turned my life around_

 _but left my heart less than safe and sound_

 _Boys_

 _I'm happy I left you,_

 _happy I'm forgetting you_

 _Boys_

 _I've learned my lesson, kid_

 _and one day you, too, will say you did._

 _Boys,_

 _Oh, boys..._

 _I should've listened to Mama_

 _I was ignorant, was involved in stupid drama_

 _Now I've gotta regain control_

 _my heart, my soul_

 _Gotta be free,_

 _gotta be me._

 _Forget him._

 _Forget boys._ "

 **Thanks for all the support, guys! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and yes, that was an original song. Nothing special, but yeah. XD Anyways, thank you!**


	8. Lime Green and Ocean Blue

The party soon ended, and Todd scurried home without acknowledging Maurecia again. He was more confused about his feelings than ever. He didn't know _what_ had just happened. "Why did I start ignoring Maurecia?" he thought, fuming. The redhead decided he just needed to sleep everything off.

The next day, Friday, the two did not speak a word to each other. Rumors about them breaking up began to spread, and everyone stared at both Todd and Maurecia. The poor girl had bags under her weary eyes, and seemed to have lost her pep and overall personality. Todd began to almost _miss_ her loving punches and spunky remarks.

That entire weekend, Todd did nearly nothing but lie in bed and ponder his decisions. He, too, began to develop dark bags under his eyes, just like _you-know-who_. His parents began to grow concerned for their child, but did not know how to handle his unmotivated behavior.

On Monday morning, Todd groaned and forcefully slammed his alarm clock, missing the snooze button by a long shot. He grumbled once more and pulled his pillow over his tired head. **_BEEP. BEE_** ** _P. BEEP. BEE-_ ** Todd defiantly stopped the annoying device this time. He slowly arose from his unkempt bed to go grab a bowl of cereal.

* * *

It was second period, P.E., when someone actually bothered to say something to Todd instead of just staring. The sweet green-haired girl calmly approached Todd and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, Man. I don't know what you're going through, but you obviously need to take your mind off of it," she gently murmured. Todd nodded, almost emotionless. "Wanna hang after school at my place? We can play video games and eat ice cream," she offered, a bit of a brighter tone to her voice. Todd cheered up a teeny bit at this. "Sure. I-I'd like that. I'm Todd, by the way," he shyly said. The girl laughed and introduced herself, too. "I'm MaryAnn. But please call me Annie,"

* * *

A new spark of enlightenment flickered throughout Todd for the rest of the day, his feet tapping and eyes bright. He wondered what Annie's house would look like and such, people staring all the while. After the rest of the school day zoomed by, Todd raced to his locker and grabbed his stuff, fumbling with the metal door. "Wait... where are we... going to meet? _Crud_ ," the boy wondered aloud. He put his heavy backpack over his shoulders and slammed the locker shut. He pressed his forehead into the cool metal and exhaled loudly.

"Hey, what's up?" a familiar voice softly murmured. "Annie!" Todd enthusiastically greeted. "We can head up to my place now. It's not that far at all." The two then began their short excursion past the copper and rust colored leaves on the pavement, it being slightly damp from the light mist earlier in the day. Gray clouds loomed over the nearby hills, threatening an upcoming storm. A furry squirrel crossed their path, scurrying to an old tree.

Annie's lime-green-and-ocean-blue hair bounced as she walked, chatting all the while about video games and school and such. Her magnificent ice blue eyes gazed forward at the autumn weather, a knitted black scarf draped around her neck and shoulders. She was wearing torn black jeans and a black tee with a skull pattern on it, a deep blue cardigan accenting it. On her feet were black faux leather boots with a slight heel.

Soon, the pair came upon a cozy little house painted beige-and-brown, cheerful potted plants greeting them at the doorway. Annie pulled out her keys from her (you guessed it) black backpack and unlocked the wooden door. A fluffball of a dog greeted them, yipping and jumping at their feet. "Winter! Winter, down!" she called out, laughing and setting down her bag. Winter eventually obeyed, whimpering. Todd bent down and scratched behind the pup's ears, grinning wide. "Is it a boy or a girl?" he questioned, setting down his bag as well.

Annie simpered and replied, "A boy. He's very friendly, I promise." She gently touched Todd's shoulder. "Want the grand tour?" she chuckled coyly. Todd slowly arose and smirked. "Sure!"

* * *

It wasn't too long before the two were on Annie's couch, battling each other in a game called _Invaders of the Lost Tomb of Zimboogie: The Sequel,_ sipping cherry soda and cracking jokes every other second. For a short while, Todd was able to almost forget about the _you-know-who_ drama and just focus on hanging out with a buddy.

"WooHOO! I can't believe we just beat that boss!" cheered the sweet Annie, pumping her fist in the air. They then high-fived and giggled. "You know, Annie, you're ridiculously nice. Thanks for inviting me over," the redhead spoke. "Oh, it's nothing. Feel free to come over whenever." Todd then muted the TV.

"Y'know, I've just been... going through some stuff. Some drama, rather, with..." he trailed off. The green-haired girl spoke, " I have a feeling I know who you're talking about. You don't have to say her name," Todd nodded quietly and thought for a short while. "I just... I'm... confused. About how I FEEL about her, if I'm going to be vulnerable for a s-second. And I can't exactly explain how it h-happened, but we... aren't talking to each other right now." Annie knowingly nodded, and then Todd continued. "And I've been kinda down about it. My parents have definitely—"

At this, Todd's eyed widened. "Oh crap. My _PARENTS_. I didn't tell them I was coming here! Um, I'm gonna... be right... back..." the boy anxiously wailed, grabbing his phone and heading towards the bathroom. He hurriedly locked the door and pressed his back to it. He pressed the home button on his phone, only to see a text message notification from a random number:

?: "hey, if you've moved on with that stupid green haired chick, fine. thanks for leading me on and breaking my 💜. JERK"


End file.
